The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-06-16
COUNTRY LIFE AND WORK.
GRANDMOTuEK.s GARDEN.

LIFE AND WORK.
GRANDMOTHER.s GARDEN.
The snnAowers by the garden wall,
lnblinking. stare mp at the sun;
The fgs beside the gateway tall
Are purplng for my pretty one.
/ lie beneath the leafy vine
That forms the arbors grateful shade,
And watch the clusters. rich in wine.
Blush with the nectar yet nnmade.
Lulled by the lazy hum Of bees,
Half doing on my bed OF rue,
hear, from yonder clump Of trees,
As miles away the ring-dovcs' COO.
The yarrow and the cnmfrey grow
Beside the walk. those brothers twain.
Whercwith my grandam many woe
Has cured and many dreary pain.
And exc the fcnnel and the sage,
Hoarhound and catnip, famed for tea,
Stand conscious, like an eastern image,
Ofwondrous powers that in them be.
And psrsley that full many a boar,
In England's merry days hath crowned,
Proud Of its noble use of yorc,
Cnrls, scorning humber herbs around.
Anu LuyH Hle tn6t ITAntlC urlVes the Uece,
Contending with the butterflies
Who first the envied bloom shall seize,
And rob it Of its honied prize.
Beneath the willow stands the urn,
And Fannus there doth never cease
His dreaming marble eyes to tuinn
In search OF Dryad-haunted Greece.
Grandmother'e garden. favored spot,
Where peeping from its leaves OF green,
see the yellow apricot
Nod to the scarlet nectarine.
Grandmother's garden! we'll know
Its fiower-bordered walks, its trees;
Such golden fruit did never grow
Where watched the fair Hesperides.
How green this simple ancient close!
How cool when twilight gins to fall!
How sweet the odor OF the rose
That Chambers DER the messy wall.
O little sprig OF fragrant thyme.
Which childhood's fingers did bcstow
Thou'st conjnred up in modern rhyme
The garden Of the long ago!
There world-sick in fancy, rest
Like some poor child, hnrt in its play,
That lies npon It's mothers breast,
And sobs Its every grief away.
w. T. DUMAS in the Atlanta Constitution.
GEMS OF THE MONTHS.
In Poland the people have a singular
that each month has par
ticular gem associated with it, which
governs and influences the destiny Of
the persons born in that month.
Thus, January has jacinth, or gar
net, which denotes constancy in every
engagement. February-Amethyst. in
suring peace Of mind. Mareh-A
denoting courage and Sc
crecy in dangerous enterprises. April
Sapphire or diamond, ,signifying repent
ance and innocence. May-Tho
green emerald, typical of love. june
An agate, meaning long life and health.
July-Ruby or cornelian, which in.
sures the forgetfnlness or cure OF evils
springing from friendship or love
August-Sarlonyx, a happy marrig 8
life. September-Chrysolite. which
preserves from folly. October-Apua
marine or opal, which denotes botl
misfortune and hope. November-Th.
Topaz, bringing the owner fidelity ant
friendship. Observation-Disclosures OF
malachite, signifying the most brilliant
success and happiness.
DOMESTIC LABOR.
A sweet, heart-lifting cheerfulness i,
to some Heayen-born gift, and the
happy possessors can wear a JOYOUS
smile under trying circumstances if the
physical system is healthful and buoy.
ant, but such natures are rare and
seem like bursts of sunlight on 4 cloudy
dayjustto show us what brightness there
is if only wecould rise above the clouds.
But to most people whose lives lie along
the rough paths Of toll there come
times when to wear cheerful smile
would be but another strain on the al
ready oycrtasked mind and would be
painful rather than pleasing to be-
hold.
But the ideal woman is SO constant
~ represented in print as smiling and
happy under all circumstances that the
real grows discouraged in trying to
approximate this model of perfection.
This imaginary embodiment of smil.
ing loveliness is represented by its ad.
mirers, as smiling calmly at woe,
cheerfully in adyersity and lovingly on
IN Incorporate or inconstant husband
while the reverse of this is true of i
woman possessing keen sensibilities, 4
high appreciation of the advantages q
prosperity. and just conception of til.
principles and qualities that constitut.
a truly noble manhood-a woman who
has capacity for thinking, feeling ant
loving. Yet this type of woman OTTER
suffers by comparison with the former
The lines pressed into the fair forehea,
by the '.iron crown of care'' are Otter
mistaken for traces of passion or self
will, while the clear. smooth brow O.
the passive woman isregarded as cvi
dence of a happy temperament.
but remember, farmer-husband
when You covetously contemplate
these high-wrought pictures of serene
loyelincss. that such Il plastic, satin.
robed piece of parlor-amiability woul a
be sadly out of place in your home.
Such soulless. purposeless women
never assume such burdens as youl
wife is bearing; and besides. were she
possessed of all the graces necessary
to your happiness you might possibly
discover that you We're hardly compar.
ionable for such angelic perfection.
Qt seems that Creative Power would
have bestowed blessing on the world
if fault finders had been made snail.
eyed. SO they could turn look on
themselves occasionally
DO you ever think when, with tn,